Btjckwheat-i aw



sfra'rns ALFRED PLATT, OF VVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

BUGKWHEATLFAN.

Specification of Letters Patent No.Y 8,659,` `dated January 13,1852.

` tion of Hulling, and that the following 1s a full, clear,` and Yexactdescription thereof, reference being had to thelaccompanying drawings,making part of this specification,

Figure l, is a front, and Fig. 2, an` end elevation;` Fig. 3, a verticalsection passing through and in the plane of the axis of the rotaryscreen; Fig. 4l, a cross verticalsection taken at the line A,a, of Fig.3; andF ig. 5, a horizontal section taken at the line 13,?) of Fig. 3.

The sameletters indicate like parts in all the figures.

My invention which relates to the method of separating the hulls fromthe kernels of buckwheat, consists, in subjecting the mass` to a currentor currents of air on a shaking table or tables slightly concave, andrendered rough either by being covered with wire gauze or by othermeans, so that as the mass is agitated and slightly thrown up by theshaking motion, the shells which are the lighter shall be `carried offby the current of air, leaving the kernels which are held back by therough surface of the table or tables.`

Inthe accompanying drawings a2 represents the frame work of the machine,and

52 a spout through which the vgrain as it" comes from the hullingmachine, is conducted to the inside of a rotating cylindrical screen c2,the shaft of which runs in boxes (Z2, cZ2. This screen is driven by a`band e2,

from a pulley f2, on-the main shaft g. The

meshes of this screen, for some distance from the receiving end, are soline as to only permit the broken pieces of kernel to pass through.These fall onto an inclined chute h2, which conducts them to a bin Z2,(called t-he finished bin) and are then in a proper condition to beground into flour. The remaining portion of the screen to the deliveryend, is made with coarser meshes, and what passes through these meshesfalls onto an inclined chute l7'2 and is delivered onto o-ne end of ashakingtable 7a2, suspended from the top of the frame by leather strapsZ2, Z2, Z2. The surface of this shaking table is straight in thedirection of its length, and in the direction/of its cross sectionslightly concave for about one half the breadth, and the remaining half,flat. The receiving end and the outer edge of the flat part are providedwith projecting flanches or ribs `m2.

The entire surface of this table is covered with wire gauzelto preventthe kernels of grain from slidingover it too freely. Along the outeredge of the concave part of this table,there is a wind pipe n2, closedat the extreme end, and `connecting at the other end with a pipe leadingto the nozzle |02, of a y fan blower p2, of any appropriateconstruotion, which `will produce a regular'current of air that escapes from thewind-pipe through a long narrow aperture g2, Vextending the whole lengthof the table, and with the lower edge thereofon a level with the surfaceof the table. y The` wind pipev is providedat r2, with avalve ondamperby which toregulate thecurrent of air to be discharged fromthe aperture..i i i The table is drawn in one direction by a helical spring s'ifwhichcauses it to `strike with a jar against the frame, and it is drawn inthe oppositedirection b y a cam 252, on the main shaft which operates alever u2, con-` nected by a rod o2, with one arm of a lever 102, theother arm being attached to a strap m2, that passes over a roller y2,and attached to the underside of the table. y In this way at everyrotation of the main shaft, theA table is drawn in one direction, and assoon as the cam has passed, it is drawn back by the spring, giving a ar,which not only has the effect of causing the grain on the table to movetoward the delivery end z2, but at the same time throws itrup, and withit the hulls, which being of less specific gravity than the kernels,areblown and carried off over the rib or flanch m2, alo-ng the edge of thetable. The kernels thus separated from the hulls gradually reach thedelivery end, and fall into a chute a3, by which they are conducted tothe finished bin. The current of wind carries with the hulls someportions of kernel still adhering to the hulls, or from which the hullshave not been stripped; and these being of lessspeciiic gravity than thehulled kernels, but of greater specific gravity than the hulls alone,are carried by the current of air out of the concave part of the table,but are caught by the flanch or rib m2, along the outer edge of the flatpart, and these are caused by the jar gradually to move toward thedelivery end of the table, where they areV discharged ontoa chute b3,and conducted to a bin c3', fromwhich they are transferred to the hullerto be re-hulled.

All the grain that `does not pass through any vof the meshes of therotating screen pass out of the delivery end, and are con ducted by aspout cl3, into a shaking table e3, constructed and operated in everypaI-,

ticular like the one above described, and receiving motion in likemanner from ,an arm f3, of the same lever. It is also provided with awind pipe like the first and for the same purpose. As all or nearly allthe grain which is conducted to this table is either not hulled or onlypartially hulled, the few loose hulls are blown off, and the rest whendelivered is conducted by a chute 72.3 to the bin c3, to be re-passedthrough the huller.

T Over each shakingtable and attached to with a governor to avoid wasteand insure the separation of the hulls from the kernels. Ido not wish tolimit myself to the precise form of the shaking tables-as this may beslightly varied,-nor to the use ofiwire.

gauze for covering them, as the surface may be made sufficiently roughto retain the ,seeds by cutting ridges or scores therein,-nor to the useof a rotating screen to make :the partial separation, as a shakingscreen may be substituted, and in fact the entire separation may beeffected direct-ly on the shaking table or tables. Nor doIwish to limitmyself to the use of a rotating fan; as any other mode of producing theregular current or blast, may be substituted.

I have specified that mode of construction which I have essayed withsuccess and from which I have obtained the best results, andI wish tocover all merely formal variations involving the same principle or modeof operation.

. l/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire y torsecure -by LettersPatent is The method of separating the hulls from the kernels ofbuckwheat'by shaking them on a tablel or tables made slightly concaveandrough, substantially as specified, in combination with a current orcurrents of air blown over the surface of such table or tables to carryoff the hulls while the kernels are retained or held back by the form ofthe surface of the table or tables, `as 1 specified.

ALFRED PLATT. I Witnesses: v y CAUsTEN BRowNE.,

CHARLES N. BAMBURGH.

